Douglas M. Johnson

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Douglas M. Johnson

Douglas is an associate with Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley working in both our municipal advisory and litigation practice groups. He serves as Assistant City Attorney of Grass Valley and assists a number of our other public agency clients.

Douglas began his legal career practicing criminal defense and civil litigation. He then moved to a boutique advisory and litigation law firm in Southern California that served as contract city attorney for two cities and special or general counsel to dozens of other public agencies. His practice encompasses a broad range of public law topics, including land use and environmental law, elections, code enforcement, public works contracting, and conflicts of interest.

Douglas earned both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School in 2013. Douglas was Editor-in-Chief of the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law, and he was a Dean’s Fellow writing instructor for first-year law students. Douglas also completed externships during law school with the Public Rights Division of the California Attorney General’s Office. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from San Francisco State University.

Before law school, Douglas taught and performed with a modern dance company in San Diego from 2001–2007. Although he is a native San Diegan, Douglas loves Northern California for its diverse climate and recreational activities, and he enjoys exploring the various trails, rivers, and lakes around the Sierra foothills with his wife and two young daughters.